Shock as teen chooses to stay in police custody with her lover

What you need to know:

  • The two were apprehended while having fun at a public beach in Bamburi, Mombasa County, after the girl's mother reported her missing.

  • The girl has refused to leave police custody until her boyfriend is set free and they are allowed to get married.
  • She has also accused her mother of trading her for sex and giving her pregnancy control pills, reasons why she does not want to return home.

  • Police are waiting for instructions from the magistrate and the children's department.

In a show of love for a man accused of causing her disappearance from home, a teenage girl has refused to leave police custody in Tana River until he is also freed.

The two were apprehended while having fun at a public beach in Bamburi, Mombasa County, after the girl's mother reported her missing.

ESCAPADES

The mother claimed the man in question was behind her 17-year-old daughter's disappearance even though "he looked harmless and concerned about her life".

She said she learned of the teenager's nightly escapades with the man from her siblings, and that when she confronted her physically, she ran away from home.

She said the girl, a Form Two student, had been sneaking out with two men who picked her up in a car, and that she returned home before before dawn so her secret would not be uncovered.

"The sisters noticed her escapades. One informed me about them but when I confronted her, she left home and I later learned that she was with the man," she said.

"I have known this man for a while through work. He looked like he cared about my life and my children and had been supportive. I did not expect him to bring such trouble into my house."

MARRIAGE

The mother said her child has refused to leave police custody until her boyfriend is set free and they are allowed to get married.

The girl has allegedly blackmailed her mother, accusing her of trading her for sex and giving her pregnancy control pills.

The girl's father said he was shocked that she refused to go home with him, insisting that her "sweetheart" must also be released.

"I was shocked when I got there to find my daughter having a meal with the suspect. They were feeding each other in the presence of police. She is talking of strange things and has refused to leave until the man leaves," he said.

UNPROVEN CLAIMS

Tana River Police Commander Patrick Okeri said the girl claimed her mother had been misbehaving and mistreating her so she could not stay at home.

Mr Okeri said the teenager denied claims that she was abducted and said she travelled to Mombasa on her own as she could not bear living with a parent who allegedly wanted to use her as a tool of trade.

The girl accused her mother of inviting men to their house and asking her to give them a try. She alleged that her refusal to do so resulted in the animosity between them and caused her mother to stab her in the hand at one point.

"We cannot wish away the girl's claims. She has a mark but we cannot verify whether it was a knife wound. Medical tests do not support claims of defilement so the man will be arraigned for the magistrate to give us directions," he said.

He added that they were undecided on where to take the girl so they will keep her safe until the children's department issues instructions.